


Respawn

by EthanTheAnnus



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Realistic Minecraft, Temporary Character Death, im sorry for the dtss i’m sorry y’all cried from the snippets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:48:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthanTheAnnus/pseuds/EthanTheAnnus
Summary: Tommy didn’t cry. Tommy didn’t feel pain. Tommy didn’t need anyone.That’s just how it was. He was tough, and kind of a bully and all that mattered was looking out for himself. … Right?-OR-Tommy learns to care for someone other than himself, just for a bit.
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 8
Kudos: 282





	Respawn

Tommy didn’t cry. Tommy didn’t feel pain. Tommy didn’t need anyone.

That’s just how it was. He was tough, and kind of a bully and all that mattered was looking out for himself. … Right?

It didn’t match up, though, not with this moment. That Tommy, the one everyone knew, couldn’t possibly be this Tommy, the one carefully cradling Tubbo as he slowly bled out, the one who’d screamed out for someone to come help him. 

There was no one nearby to see this Tommy, not this far out into the forest, where the creepers and zombies and skeletons crawled thick. Tommy’s shaking hands pressed down on the hole in Tubbo’s stomach, a desperate but fruitless attempt to stop the bleeding. The arrow that had been embedded there moments earlier lay on the forest floor beside him, bloodied and almost broken in half.

The skeleton that had shot Tubbo had somehow managed to creep up on them, unexpectedly and silently, unnoticed right up until Tubbo had an arrow buried in his gut. Tommy hated the feeling of helplessness, the way he could do nothing while Tubbo’s very life soaked into the ground beneath him. Tommy shuddered at his own memories of the Void, of those moments between death and the rebirth, and hated that it was going to happen to the boy in his arms.

Tubbo reached upwards blindly towards Tommy, and he felt his chest twist painfully. He reached out, catching Tubbo’s hands in his own, and felt sickened at the way the other boy relaxed in his hold. Tommy had been nothing but a bully to Tubbo, really, with minimal moments of genuine affection or appreciation, to the point that anything other than flat out insults was almost nonexistent.

And yet here he was, relaxed in Tommy’s hold as he died, and Tommy wanted to throw up. The trust and peace in Tubbo’s gaze was almost too much, and Tommy found he had to turn his head away. When he finally managed to fight down the nausea in his stomach and turned back, Tubbo had stilled in his arms.

A second later, Tubbo burst into nothingness, springing his items everywhere. Tommy thought again of the Void, of how dark and cold and oppressive it was. Then he set about the task of collecting up Tubbo’s inventory before turning back to face spawn, and the long walk home.

*******

The sun was brushing the treetops when Tommy could finally see the small town again. He immediately turned his gaze towards Tubbo’s house, and fidgeted with one of the things he’d picked up when Tubbo had died; some small sticks. 

The Void never held anyone for more than twenty four hours, but that meant Tubbo might not be back yet, and the thought of that hurt more than anything. Tommy couldn’t imagine walking into Tubbo’s house and finding it empty, but he took a breath, squared his shoulders, and set off down the path to Tubbo’s house.

Tommy stopped in front of the door, staring up at the wooden planks and carefully constructed walls, and felt his chest twist again. He vowed then that he’d make it up to Tubbo, that he’d be nicer, that he’d stop taking him for granted. Taking in a deep breath, he stepped through the doors.

“Tubbo?” Tommy called, moving through the house and wincing when the floorboard creaked under his weight. “I got your stuff.”

There was no reply. Tommy made his way over to one of the chests, carefully placing Tubbo’s items inside before closing it again. The house seemed empty, too empty, and Tommy could feel his gut churn with nausea as he remembered the trust in Tubbo’s eyes before he’d died.

“Tommy?” 

He turned, dejectedly meeting the gaze of Wilbur. The older man’s gaze slid over the house, seeming to try and connect the pieces.

“Tubbo died,” Tommy said, before he could stop himself. “A skeleton shot him.”

Wilbur’s expression morphed into instant sympathy and grief. “It’s his first time in the Void.”

It wasn’t a question, but Tommy nodded in reply anyway. “I’m scared for him.”

“He’s tougher than he looks,” Wilbur said, but Tommy didn’t really register the words.

“I was so mean to him. All the time. I-I just kind of assumed he’d always be there, you know? A-And then  _ this  _ happens, and I-” Tommy cut himself up, looking up at Wilbur with pain in his eyes. “I just feel so awful.”

Wilbur stepped over to him, and put an arm around his shoulders, saying nothing. Tommy didn’t need him to, simply leaning into Wilbur’s side and closing his eyes, trying to will the sight of Tubbo’s blood out from his mind.

*******

When Tommy woke up, he was in Tubbo’s house. He had vague memories of crawling into Tubbo’s bed, of crying himself to sleep in a room that felt so  _ Tubbo  _ it hurt. He dragged himself from the bed, feeling no more rested than when he’d fallen asleep, and tried to get himself breakfast, but he ended up sitting on the floor and staring at the place Tubbo was meant to respawn.

It had been over twenty four hours, right? He should have been back. Tommy took to pacing the room, back and forth, back and forth.

Wilbur came in again in the late afternoon and forced him outside, despite Tommy’s protests.

“Waiting and pacing isn’t going to make the Void spit him up any faster,” Wilbur had simply said before half-dragging Tommy out into the town. Tommy had to admit, the sunlight fanning across his skin and the smell of flowers coming into bloom did help make him feel somewhat better.

When he finally returned to Tubbo’s house, the sun was setting again. Tommy paused at the door, resting his palm on it. He couldn’t go back in, not while Tubbo wasn’t there.

Tommy pulled away, ready to leave, when a loud crash came from inside. Frowning, Tommy pushed open the doors, and was met with the sight of chests knocked over, spilling their contents everywhere, and in the middle of it all, a very hurried, panicked looking young boy.

“Tubbo,” Tommy managed, barely loud enough for even himself to hear, but by some miracle, Tubbo seemed to hear, turning with a sheepish smile.

“The respawn’s a little disorienting, huh?” Tubbo was speaking like he hadn’t died, like he hadn’t been gone for nearly two whole days. “I accidentally stumbled into one chest and  _ boom _ . Like dominoes.”

Tommy couldn’t breathe. Tubbo’s smile faded when he fully took in Tommy’s expression.

“You alright?”

Tommy swallowed. “Y-You  _ died _ .”

Tubbo shrugged. “Everyone dies sometimes.” 

Tommy found himself moving before he could stop himself, reaching for Tubbo and pulling him into a tight hug. “You  _ died _ ,” he repeated.

He felt Tubbo hesitantly return the hug. “Sorry.”

Tommy shook his head, burying his head in Tubbo’s shoulder. “No,  _ I’m  _ the one who’s sorry. I treat you like shit  _ all the time _ , and you just put up with it. I just assumed you’d always be there, and when you weren’t, I guess I… panicked. And realised I’d been a dick.”

Tubbo pulled back from the hug to meet Tommy’s gaze. “You’re not a dick. I’ve seen countless times the way you care.”

Tubbo smiled, then, and stretched up to ruffle Tommy’s hair in the most annoying way possible. “Come on, I’m starving. God, does the Void suck everything out of everyone or?”

Tommy found he was able to let out a small laugh. “Alright, let’s get you some food, bitch.”


End file.
